AAA White Paper The political economy of informal events, 2030 | Page 28

Voltaire (1694-1778).
A defender of free
expression, he also had a
keen eye for professionals
who might not boast
massive organisations,
but who excelled in
hitting their target
The conglomerates offer consumers convenience and big-name
acts. They have cash, lawyers and a number of local authorities on
their side. Because they can mount festivals relatively easily, they
seem to vindicate the 17th-century French proverb – that Providence
is always on the side of the big battalions. And yet…
The famous 18th century French advocate of free speech, Voltaire,
had a good riposte. In a remark committed to a private notebook, he
wrote: ‘God is not for the heavy battalions, but for those who fire best’.
And in events, it is often independent SMEs that fire best.
If the British resist anything in life, it is regimentation. That
is why they have grown strongly committed to smallish, intimate
events that boast a genuine provenance and contain the promise of
not being the same old Business As Usual. In return, and to survive,
the best kinds of events SMEs can never afford to be formulaic.
Flexible enthusiasts and survivors, UK events SMEs will be a big
part of consumer entertainment in 2030. Whatever their human
weaknesses, they deserve credit not just for the jobs they provide,
but for the innovations they pioneer.
PT Barnum (1810-1891).
First a New York Democrat,
then a Republican, many
of his events were little
short of outrageous (sound
familiar?). But as well as
being an early purveyor
of fake news, he was still a
pioneer and an innovator
in circuses and events – on
both sides of the Atlantic
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